A Bond’s Clean Price Leaves Accrued Interest for a Separate Line

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A bond quote can exclude interest that has accumulated since the previous coupon date. The amount used for settlement may therefore differ from the clean price shown in a table. The difference is a matter to identify, not automatically an unexpected fee.

Put every amount on the same basis

The Handbook on Securities Statistics distinguishes clean price from a price including accrued interest. For a hypothetical example, a clean quote of 98 per 100 face value means $980 for a $1,000 face amount. If accrued interest on that holding is $12, clean price plus accrued interest is $992 before any separately applicable costs.

Do not add “12” to “98” without checking their units. One may be a currency amount for the holding while the other is a quote per 100 of face value.

Ask which convention the example uses

Accrual depends on the security’s terms, dates and day-count convention. This simple example supplies the accrued amount rather than calculating it. It should not be used to infer a real trade’s settlement from a coupon rate alone.

When reading a financial book or confirmation, mark the quote basis, face amount, settlement date and interest line. Keep fees separate so the arithmetic remains traceable. This is a terminology exercise, not investment advice or a universal claim about every bond market’s quotation practice.

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